get

verb

1)

where did you get that hat?

Syn:

acquire, obtain, come by, receive, gain, earn, win, come into, take possession of, be given; buy, purchase, procure, secure; gather, collect, pick up, hook, net, land; achieve, attain; informal get one's hands on, get one's mitts on, get hold of, grab, bag, score

Ant:

give

2)

I got your letter

Syn:

receive, be sent, be in receipt of, be given

Ant:

send

3)

your tea's getting cold

Syn:

become, grow, turn, go

4)

get the children from school

Syn:

fetch, collect, go for, call for, pick up, bring, deliver, convey, ferry, transport

Ant:

leave

5)

the chairman gets $650,000 a year

Syn:

earn, be paid, take home, bring in, make, receive, collect, gross; informal pocket, bank, rake in, net, bag

6)

have the police got their man?

Syn:

apprehend, catch, arrest, capture, seize; take prisoner, take into custody, detain, put in jail, put behind bars, imprison, incarcerate; informal collar, grab, nab, nail, run in, pinch, bust, pick up, pull in

7)

I got a taxi

Syn:

travel by/on/in; take, catch, use

8)

she got the flu

Syn:

succumb to, develop, come/go down with, get sick with, fall victim to, be struck down with, be afflicted by/with; become infected with, catch, contract, fall ill with, be taken ill with

9)

I got a pain in my arm

Syn:

experience, suffer, be afflicted with, sustain, feel, have

10)

I got him on the radio

Syn:

contact, get in touch with, communicate with, make contact with, reach; phone, call, radio; speak to, talk to; informal get hold of

11)

I didn't get what he said

Syn:

hear, discern, distinguish, make out, perceive, follow, take in

12)

I don't get the joke

Syn:

understand, comprehend, grasp, see, fathom, follow, perceive, apprehend, unravel, decipher; informal get the drift of, catch on to, latch on to, figure out

13)

we got there early

Syn:

arrive, reach, come, make it, turn up, appear, come on the scene, approach, enter, present oneself, come along, materialize, show one's face; informal show (up), roll in/up, blow in

14)

we got her to go

Syn:

persuade, induce, prevail on/upon, influence

15)

I'd like to get to meet him

Syn:

contrive, arrange, find a way, manage; informal work it, fix it

16)

I'll get supper

Syn:

prepare, get ready, cook, make, assemble, muster, concoct; informal fix, rustle up

17) informal

I'll get him for that

Syn:

take revenge on, exact/wreak revenge on, get one's revenge on, avenge oneself on, take vengeance on, get even with, pay back, get back at, exact retribution on, give someone their just deserts

18)

you really got me with that third question

Syn:

baffle, perplex, puzzle, bewilder, mystify, bemuse, confuse, confound; informal flummox, faze, stump, beat, fox, discombobulate

19)

what gets me is how neurotic she is

Syn:

annoy, irritate, exasperate, anger, irk, vex, provoke, incense, infuriate, madden, try someone's patience, ruffle someone's feathers; informal aggravate, peeve, miff, rile, get to, needle, get someone's back up, get on someone's nerves, get someone's goat, drive mad, make someone see red, tee off, tick off

•

- get about

- get across

- get ahead

- get along

- get around

- get at

- get away

- get away with

- get back

- get back at

- get by

- get down

- get off

- get on

- get on with

- get out

- get out of

- get over

- get together

- get up

••

get, acquire, attain, gain, obtain, procure, secure

Get is a very broad term meaning to come into possession of. You can get something by fetching it (get some groceries), by receiving it (get a birthday gift), by earning it (get interest on a bank loan), or by any of a dozen other familiar means. It is such a common, over-used word that many writers try to substitute obtain for it whenever possible, perhaps because it sounds less colloquial. But it can also sound pretentious (all employees were required to obtain an annual physical exam) and should be reserved for contexts where the emphasis is on seeking something out (to obtain blood samples). Acquire often suggests a continued, sustained, or cumulative acquisition (to acquire poise as one matures), but it can also hint at deviousness (to acquire the keys to the safe). Use procure if you want to emphasize the effort involved in bringing something to pass (procure a mediated divorce settlement) or if you want to imply maneuvering to possess something (procure a reserved parking space). But beware: Procure is so often used to describe the act of obtaining partners to gratify the lust of others (to procure a prostitute) that it has acquired somewhat unsavory overtones. Gain also implies effort, usually in getting something advantageous or profitable (gain entry, gain victory). In a similar vein, secure underscores the difficulty involved in bringing something to pass and the desire to place it beyond danger (secure a permanent peace; secure a lifeline). Attain should be reserved for achieving a high goal or desirable result (If she attains the summit of Mt. Everest, she will secure for herself a place in mountaineering history).